An experienced chiropractor has been formally reprimanded and placed under strict conditions for a year after making a series of inappropriate and hurtful comments about an obese patient's weight during treatment sessions.
Inappropriate Comments and Physical Contact
Kevin Burns, who has run his own practice, Burns Chiropractic, for four decades, was found to have acted unprofessionally by a disciplinary tribunal. The incidents occurred during sessions at his clinics in Hull and Sheffield.
The patient, who was clinically obese and trying to lose weight, was being treated for neck pain and restricted arm movement. During her eighth and final appointment in February 2023, Mr Burns made two specific remarks about her size. When the woman said she was freezing in the treatment room, he responded, "don't worry, you have lots of plenty of insulation," and slapped her hip area.
Later in the same session, while she was lying on her back, he grabbed her belly fat and stated, "We just need to burn this away." The patient, who was sensitive about her weight, told him his comments were unhelpful and made her feel uncomfortable.
Regulator's Findings and Sanctions
The General Chiropractic Council investigated the complaints and concluded that Mr Burns had failed to maintain professional boundaries. While acknowledging that weight could be a relevant factor in treatment, the regulator stated he should have stopped immediately when the patient expressed her discomfort.
The disciplinary committee stated: "These were not minor failings. They were clinically unjustified acts of inappropriate physical touching accompanied by inappropriate comments which were a failure to maintain professional boundaries." It judged his conduct to have "fallen far short" of expected standards.
As a result, Mr Burns has been placed under conditions to practise for 12 months. This order requires him to work under supervision to ensure professionalism and proper patient boundaries are maintained. The regulator stated this period would allow him to develop insight and evidence changes to his practice.
Patient's Experience and Aftermath
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had booked a further appointment but cancelled after the final session in February 2023. In a voice note sent afterwards, she described the incident, noting he had slapped her "hip, like my arse."
Mr Burns told the regulator he had only "tapped" her leg and did not specifically recall the belly fat comment, though he accepted he may have used the words and might have touched her stomach.
The case highlights the critical importance of maintaining a professional and respectful relationship between healthcare practitioners and their patients, regardless of the clinical context.
